Mission Valley School placed on lockdown as deputies search for burglary suspect

The Mission Valley Elementary School campus was on lockdown for most of Monday as officers searched the area for a burglary suspect.

Victoria County Sheriff's Office deputies were searching for a man after he fled during an investigation of a possible stolen car at a nearby business Sunday night. Two other people, Antonio DeLeon and Donald Rickman, both of Victoria, were arrested on charges of public intoxication, said Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor.

Monday morning, the man, identified as Christopher Griffith, reappeared at the car, but fled again when deputies approached him.

The campus was put on lockdown at 9:45 a.m., Victoria school district communications director Diane Boyett said.

Parents were notified of the lockdown by the EduLink call system at about noon. The lockdown stayed in place until school ended Monday afternoon.

Griffith is still at large, but is not considered to be a danger to the community, O'Connor said.

The search and investigation are ongoing, but the search was suspended at dark.

O'Connor said he is confident they will track the suspect down.

"We do know who he is, and it's just a matter of time. If we don't get him today, we'll get him tomorrow," he said. "I'm sure he's making every effort to distance himself from us, but time and resources are on our side."